Blank squaring and taping process



y 1968 A. F. SHIELDS BLANK SQUARING AND TAPING PROCESS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 ICF=5.

BY fljreaz e/vz, f/rZeg-w ga-zeaffarau United States Patent BLANK SQUARING AND TAPING PROCESS Albert F. Shields, 43 Exeter St., Forest Hills, N.Y. 1.1375

' Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Sr. No. 509,785

. 7 Claims. (Cl. 932-56) 3,393,613 Patented July 23, 1968 head is a stacking and straightening means of the type disclosed in my US. Patent No. 3,203,561, issued August 3.1, 1965, entitled Lift Cam for Stacking Device.

Accordingly, a primary object of the instant invention is to provide a novel process for the application of tape v forming the joint between abutting panels.

Drying of the tape gluein contact with the wetted area is not. as rapid aslthe drying of tape g'luein contact with unwetted areas of the box blank, so. that straightening of the box panels'after application of the tape permits movernent, relative to the t ape, by the panel having the wetted area while the tape remains in fixed position relative to the other panel to which it has been applied.

V The instant invention relates to the makingof boxes from corrugated board and" more particularly relates to a novel method of-applying tape to the marginal edges of adjacent folded over. panels as the box ,blank'is formed into a folded tubular box; v

In the production offolded tubular boxes. constructed of corrugated board, or the like, it is desirable to use tape for connecting ,the marginal edges of folded over side panels since such a construction results in the saving of relatively expensive board, is neater and requires less storage space as compared to boxes of stapled or glue-lap contructions. However,prior art production techniques were such that ,taped boxescould not be. produced as rapidly as boxes having glue-laps. This appears to result from'the factthat, squaring (aligning panels after folding) after gluing was permissable without slowing horizontal progress of boxes prior to stacking whereas prior art taping techniques required squaring prior to application of the tape by means which slowed progress in the folding section. The latter was required since the tape must have fast-drying adhesives in order to assure that the tape once applied to the blank will adhere thereto and not drift as the blank proceeds through the, machine.

The instant invention provides a taping technique in which setting of the-tape adhesive is 'delayed on one of the panels, while the tape adheres to the other panel essentially on contact therewith. Now tape position is fixed relative to one panel so that the tape will not drift aimlessly and after tape application squaring may take place. The adhesive is delayed in set-ting by applying the tape to a wetted strip on the other panel with wetting being done with water on any other appropriate agent which will delay setting of the adhesive being used.

It is contemplated that the process hereinafter set forth be carried out by adding a conventional taping head to a folder gluer machine of the type set forth in US. Patent No. 2,982,189, issued May 2, 1961, entitled Power Driven Adjusting Means for Slotting, Scoring, Creasing and Slitting Means, at a point between the folding belts and the Stackerstraightener, with the application of tape being controlled from the position of the travelling box by means of position sensing switches. The glue applying roll of the conventional gluing device may be used to wet the marginal edge of one of the foldable panels prior to folding thereof. In the alternative, the conventional gluing device is replaced by other means for wetting this marginal edge. Positioned forward of the taping Another object is to provide a process of this type in which the tape will adhere to one of the adjacent panels essentially on contact therewith, but will be delayed in adhering to the other panel so that the relative positions of these panels may be adjusted subsequent to the applicationv of the tape.

A further object is to provide a process of this type in which a wetting agent is applied to the portion of a panel which will receive an adhesive bearing tape with the wetting agent serving to delay setting of the adhesive.

These as well as other objects of this invention will become readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is .a perspective of an erected box constructed of corrugated board and having a taped joint connecting two side panels thereof.

FIGURES 2 through 5 are plan views, in schematic form, showing the manufacturing steps according to the teachings of the instant invention starting with a box blank and concluding with a folded tubular box which, when erected, corresponds to the box of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2 shows the fiat blank with appropriate scorelines and slits therein. FIGURE 3 shows the blank in the process of having the side panels thereof folded inwardly toward one another after a strip of one of these side panels have been wetted. FIGURE 4 shows the folded tubular box with the taped joint but prior to squaring. FIGURE 5 shows the box of FIGURE 4 after the squaring operation.

Now referring to the figures. Erected box 10 of FIG- URE 1 is produced from folded tubular box 11 of FIGURE 5 made from blank 12 of FIGURE 2. More particularly, blank 12 is a sheet of corrugated board, or the like, having transverse score lines 14, 15 which in combination with longitudinal score lines 16, 17, 18 and longitudinal slits 21 through 26, inclusive, define side panels 31, 32, end panels 33, 34, bottom flaps 4'1, 42, 43, 44 connected to panels 31, 32, 33, 34, respectively, and top flaps 51, 52, 53, 54 connected to panels 31, 32, 33, 34, respectively. The outermost panels of blank 12 may be denoted as outboard panels 31, 34 which, as will be hereinafter shown, have their outermost edges taped together in the completed box.

As blank 12 moves in the direction of arrow A (to the right with respect to FIGURES 2 through 4) flaps 41, 51 and panel 31 pass above water-applying wheel 35. Biasing means (not shown) acts to force flaps 41, 52 and panel 32 downward into engagement with the periphery of wheel 35 and as a result a wetted strip 36 (FIGURE 3) is formed on the bottom surface of blank 12 extending inwardly from the free end of panel 31. Thereafter foldable panels 31, 34, and the flaps connected thereto, are engaged by folding belts 61, 64, respectively (FIGURE 3) which fold panels 31, 34 along score lines 16, .18 respectively, to bring the free edges of panels 31, 34 adjacent to one another.

The folded blank passes below taping head 37 which applies adhesive coated tape strip 40 across the gap separating the free ends of panels 31, 34. The placement of tape 40 is such that the entire portion thereof in engagement with panel 31 is on wetted strip 36. As shown in FIGURE 4, though in exaggerated relationship, at the time tape 40 is applied to panels 31, 34 the leading edges of flaps 51, 54 are not parallel to the leading edges of flaps 52, 53 and, similarly, the trailing edges of flaps 41 and 44 are at an angle with respect to the trailing edges of flaps 42, 43. If panels 31, 34 were to remain in these misaligned positions after the adhesive on tape 40 sets, the erected box will be of exceptionally poor quality and probably not be fit for its intended purpose.

Accordingly, it is necessary to square the folded tubular box. This is accomplished by applying forces acting in the directions indicated by arrows B and C in FIG- URE to the trailing and leading edges, respectively, of folded tubular box 11 after tape strip 40 has been applied. Suitable apparatus for applying the forces indicated by arrows B and C is described in detail in my aforesaid U.S. Patent No. 3,203,561 while the folded tubular boxes 11 are being accumulated into an underfed stack. The application of forces B and C will not disturb the position of tape strip 40 with respect to panel 34 in that tape 40 adheres to unwetted panel 34 substantially at the instant of contact therewith. However, the fact that strip 36 extending along panel 31 is a wetted area delays the setting of the adhesive on tape 40 in contact with panel 31 and permits relative movement between panel 31 and tape 40 during the squaring operation.

Typically, tape 40 is provided with a water dispersible adhesive such as animal glues so that strip 36 may be wetted by coating it with water. Naturally, strip 36 will be treated with a different type of agent in the event that a different type of adhesive is used, the requirement being that the particular agent forming strip 36 delay setting of the particular adhesive for a time interval sufficient to permit squaring of the folded tubular box.

It is noted that the treated (e.g., wetted) adhesive receiving strip 36 is on the longer rather than shorter of the panels 31, 34. This has been done in view of the fact that the longer foldable panel is more likely to require greater straightening movement than the shorter foldable panel so that the shorter panel is left untreated (e.g., unwetted) and tape 40 will not have to undergo as great a movement.

It should now be apparent that by utilizing the teachings of the instant invention folded tubular boxes having taped joints may be produced on very high speed production machinery in that the squaring operation may now take place after the application of the tape strip.

The use of the term wetting agent is intended to refer to a material which delays setting of a particular adhesive and the term wetted area refers to an area to which a wetting agent has been applied. Further reference to ad hering of tape substantially on contact with a panel refers to the fast drying characteristics of many fast setting adhesives which have high holding power at the instant of application to dry surfaces.

Although there has been described a preferred embodiment of this novel invention, many variations and modifications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is t'obe limited, not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appending claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A process for producing a folded tubular box from a flat box blank scored longitudinally to define fold lines about which outboard panels thereof are inwardly foldable to position their free edges adjacent to each other, said process including the steps of folding said panels inwardly and applying a wetting agent to a selected area of one of said panels adjacent its free edge, thereafter applying a longitudinally extending tape with tacky adhesive thereon to marginal portions of said along said free edges including at least portionsof said selected area to form said folded tubular box, and thereafter subjecting the leading and traling edges of said folded tubular box to forces acting toward one another to align said foldable panels in predetermined positions relative to remaining panels of said folded tubular box.

2. The process of claim 1 in which said selected area is a strip parallel to said fold lines and extending to said free edge of said one of said outboard panels.

3. The process of claim 1 in which said wetting agent is water.

4. The process of claim 3 in which said adhesive is water dispersible.

5. The process of claim 4 in which said selected area is a strip parallel to said fold lines and extending to said free edge of said one of said outboard panels.

6. The process of claim .1 in which said one of said outboard panels is longer than the other of said outboard panels.

7. The process of claim 1 in which said wetting agent is applied to said selected area prior to folding of said one of said outboard panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 613,626 11/1898 Gilliland a 156-157 X 1,565,167 12/1925 Labombarde 93-56 X 2,068,163 1937 Bowersock 9341 2,440,193 4/ 1948' Davis 93- 56 3,205,792 9/1965 Frei 93-36 3,264,954 8/1966 Grobman 9336 3, 3 54,7 96 11/1967 Lopez.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

WAYNE A. MORSE, IR., Assistant Examiner. 

